Clay’s Automotive Service Inc.

I have been taking my cars and rv’s to Clay’s for years. They always take the time to actually figure out what the problem is and give me an honest evaluation of what the problem is and the best way to fix it. I appreciate that they also check to see if I have any other issues that I was not aware of and make suggestions on what they would recommend. Nice, honest and knowledgable staff. When I go to Clay’s I feel that I will get my vehicle repaired at a fair cost as opposed to taking it to a dealership where I believe they over sell and overprice all of their services. Thanks Clay’s Automotive.

I own a 1971 Ford F250 Camper Special pickup. The truck had bad exhaust leaks that I needed to get fixed. Living in the Carmichael area I passed by Clay’s Automotive Service all the time and one day decided to go in and see if they could help me with my problem. I met Clay himself and we had a great conversation about my truck, it’s problems, and based on my budget several repair options. Upon deciding on the course of action to take I dropped my truck off for the repairs. Clay was very straight forward telling me that any number of issues could come up as he dove into the project and that he would communicate with me every step of the way. Turns out he was right and another unexpected major repair came up half way through the job. Nobody wants to hear that their repair budget has just gone way up but Clay took the time to carefully explain exactly what he found and why it needed to be addressed. Clay even invited me to come by the shop so he could show me exactly what he found. After a few more minor problems came up, all of which Clay thoroughly explained, my truck was ready for me to pick up. Clay gave me a thorough tour of all of the repairs with careful instructions on how to operate the truck taking into consideration the new components he installed. Clay even showed me custom fabrications he performed (and I don’t think he fully charged me for) to improve upon the original Ford engineering. There are several other «over and above» things Clay did for my truck but this post is already too long.
My 5 minute drive home turned into a ½ hour as I just couldn’t get over how much better my truck was running. Clay exceeded all of my expectations and got my truck running better than I ever could have imagined. Clay is a great blend of «old school mechanic/​craftsman» and «new school technology based mechanic». He has a tremendous «bag of tricks» he draws on from decades in the business. If you need an honest, reputable, and hard working mechanic in the Carmichael/​Sacramento area Clay is your guy!
Best
Gordon H Ritchie

To be fair Clay and Ed did some good work on my car. But when the AC broke down they screwed me like a 10 dollar whore. They replaced most of the AC system, but they broke a wiper arm assembly and charged ME 400.00 to replace it. And to top it off the AC failed after one week. So after charging me nearly 2800.00 I brought the car to a real BMW mechanic who found they missed the actual leak in the condenser unit. Now the AC runs like new.
I learned a very expensive lesson from Clay and co. Dont bother.

On a cold and very rainy day my tire pressure light popped on as I was on my way to pick up my child from school. I stopped at Clay’s Auto for help and Clay quickly checked all of my tires and had me back on the road at no cost. Thank you Clay!

Bad luck here. Took in my pathfinder for new water pump. They replaced all the hoses etc. $ 1350. When they tightened the big hose to the radiator with a new clamp the radiator broke. The car was returned to me for me to drive and overheat on my way to work without a word. Maybe they didn’t know the fitting on the radiator smashed when they installed the new hose which would make them hacks and oblivious instead of sneaky and shady. Either way one star. Boo. Calling to try to have them make it right. Will update the review.

I was referred to Clay after the fiasco with Big O Tires in South Sac and Gold Country Tire in Roseville. After being raked over the coals by both of these companies, I was a little on the defensive and quite apprehensive when it came to what REALLY needed to be done with my car.
Holding back my fire because a friend referred him, I put my trust in Clay. Not only did he validate my frustrations from the service I received from the other two places, he FINALLY fixed the problem AND offered a write up of what happened when I was considering taking Brian Love at Gold Country to small claims (a whole another story — if you go to Brian Love you’re an idiot and a half).
It’s been a few years now since I’ve started seeing Clay. I am never disappointed. The fiancé even started going to him. He’s ridiculously honest and is always customer service oriented.
An example of his honesty? My check engine light kept coming on and he did everything he could possibly do to fix the problem. Finally he said he didn’t know what it was, didn’t want to waste my time, energy, or money on it anymore, and referred me to another shop. I was floored. That’s quite the opposite I received in the past. Especially at Big O. They kept bringing me in and taking my money. Not Clay. He wanted my problem resolved, wanted me happy, and obviously wanted to retain a customer, because his honestly made me come back.
My ONLY problem that I have with Clay’s shop is that he’s only open M-​F 7:30−5 and it’s difficult for me to get to him because I have to miss work in order to do so. In the grand scheme of things, it’s just me being stingy of my time, it’s really not that bad, and I manage.